This traditional Creole red beans and rice recipe is made extra easy in the slow cooker!
Oh, rice and beans.
These two simple ingredients are such a staple around the world. And I love how it seems like every different country — heck, often every different culture within a country — has their own totally unique way of making them.
When I lived in Costa Rica, for example, they called rice and beans “gallo pinto”, which was white rice stirred together with black beans and a few veggies and salsa lizano, and was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I was in Jamaica, I loved how they simmered their white rice in sweet coconut milk and served it with pigeon peas or kidney beans. When I was in Mexico, I couldn’t get enough of their classic refried beans, and some well-seasoned Mexican rice can’t be beat. And the list goes on and on…
But. I’m pretty sure that my favorite take on rice will forever-and-always be the classic, zesty, Creole dish that I can’t get enough of — Red Beans and Rice.
Even better? Red Beans and Rice made extra-easy in the Crock-Pot®.
Red Beans and Rice Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Mmmm hmmmm.
No boring rice and beans here. Just take a look at all of those vibrant ingredients!
The main ingredients here, of course, are the “trinity” — onions, bell peppers, and celery — which is kind of the Creole version of mirepoix, or sofrito, etc. So delicious. Then I added in some flavorful Andouille sausage (or you can use smoked sausage, if this is unavailable at your grocery store), tons of garlic, Creole seasoning, and bay leaves. And yes, an entire pound of dried red beans.
The brilliant thing about slow cooking this recipe is that you don’t have to babysit a pot on the stove for hours while those red beans cook completely to perfection. Just toss everything in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker (here’s the one I use) and give the mixture a good stir. Then about 6-8 hours later, this big pot of goodness will be yours to enjoy.
Seriously, it’s so simple! I served mine over traditional white rice, but brown rice (or even quinoa or farro) would work well here. Or you can also serve up a little bit of it for breakfast in a mug, which I also did the next day for leftovers. Delicious at all hours of the day!
So if you happen to love red beans and rice as much as I do, give this one a try! And bonus — if you happen to be in the market for a new slow cooker, Crock-Pot® is giving a sweet discount to Gimme Some Oven readers today who click over to their site. This Crock-Pot® 6-Quart Slow Cooker with a Stovetop-Safe Cooking Pot is the one I own and use most, and totally recommend.
Enjoy!
Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked (dry) red kidney beans
- 3/4 pound (12 ounces) Andouille sausage, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
- 1 bell pepper, cored and diced
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or more/less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- for serving: cooked white or brown rice, thinly-sliced green onions
Instructions
- Rinse the kidney beans thoroughly under water.
- Add the kidney beans, sausage, garlic, celery, onion, bell pepper, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, dried thyme, bay leaves and chicken stock to the bowl of a large slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 6-8 hours, or until the kidney beans are soft and cooked through*. Taste, and season with however much salt and pepper you’d like. (I used about 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper.**) If you’d like a spicier dish, feel free to also add in more hot sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Serve immediately over rice, garnished with green onions.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post is sponsored by Crock-Pot®, maker of my beloved slow cooker. Thanks for continuing to support the brands who help make this site possible!
Hi! Is the Andouille sausage that you use in the recipe precooked? Like kielbasa? That was the only Andouille sausage that I could find.
Hi Lisa! It wasn’t pre-cooked, but if you can’t find andouille sausage, you could use kielbasa (you just wouldn’t need to add it until later, since it’s already been cooked and just needs to be reheated). We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this today. Followed the recipe to a t but did skip the salt and pepper. Amazing! It was really good. This will be a staple for us during the cooler weather! Have you tried freezing it? Just wondering how it freezes. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Thanks for sharing with us, Kim — we’re so happy you enjoyed it! :)
My lunch for the winter!
Yay! We hope you enjoy! :)
Hi Hailey! I see you answered my first question. Thanks so much!!! It had a second part-if you add can beans do you: 1) add bean liquid and 2) do you alter broth amount? Very happy to try it. Thanks in advance!
Will someone that works for this site please answer my previous questions? I would really like to make this dish…
Made this tonight and it was delicious! So easy to prepare and turned out perfect! Made a ton so would be great for a group or for hungry men or leftovers like we will have.
Thanks for sharing, Alexandra — we’re so glad to hear it was a hit!
Real NOLA red beans and rice does not use kidney beans. There is a special bean called a red bean that is essential. Kidney beans are a perversion.
:-) LOL @ perversion. I wouldn’t go that far but I did seek out red beans (Bob’s Red Mill) for this recipe. I used my Instant Pot and slow-cooked on high for ~6 hours – after a taste, the beans were cooked well but I let it go for another 45 minutes just for fun and wow, amazing results. Love, love, love this recipe!
Are the beans soaked first before adding to pot?
No need to soak them. We hope you enjoy! :)
I am so excited!! I have been wanting to make red beans and rice but haven’t gotten around to finding a recipe yet. Yours are always my favorite so you’ve made my night!
Yay! We hope you love it, Sarah! :)
It’s so beautiful to look at. Your recipe looks really delicious. I am hoping right now to get the taste of it also. Thanks for sharing the recipe because I can make one on my own. And I am hoping it will look and taste great also. Anyway, I love beans so I’m pretty much sure I’m going to love it!
Thank you! We hope you enjoy!